who I really was and who I was supposed to be.
I also felt the urge to pose again. To experience that shivering mix of fear and excitement, and that feeling of being exposed both physically and emotionally. I wanted to reveal myself to him again. He liked what he saw, and I liked what he saw when he looked at me. I also wanted to see him again.
Screw it.
I flipped the drawing over and jabbed his phone number into my cell. He answered on the third ring.
“Hello.”
At the sound of his deep voice, my courage fled, leaving me unsure and stammering.
“Uh, hi, is this Dominic?”
“It is. Who is this?”
“Um, Angela.”
“Angela, what a lovely surprise.” I could hear the smile in his voice. “Have you reconsidered my offer?”
“Umm, yes. I mean, maybe.”
“Hmm. I want to hear more yes and less maybe.”
“Well, the thing is. I could use the work, but I’m not really comfortable in front of so many people. It’s a little overwhelming.”
“Oh,” he said, sounding relieved. “Well, that’s not a problem. I actually wanted to hire you for private sessions. Just you and me at my studio.”
“You have your own studio?”
“Well, it’s nothing impressive. Just a space downtown. But it’s mine. And private.”
Private sessions, I thought. Just the two of us. I liked the sound of that. My love life was as bleak as my money problems, and even the possibility of spending time alone with Dominic was enticing.
“I can pay you a hundred dollars for a two-hour session. Is that alright?”
My brain reeled at the number. I could never make that much at any of the jobs I had seen in the paper or online.
“I don’t know,” I said.
“Fine, two hundred a session. Say you’ll do it.”
My head bobbed back and forth with indecision. It was an insane amount of money. It sounded too good to be true, which meant it probably was. Weren’t artists supposed to be poor? Then again, he had his own studio. Maybe he was more successful than I’d thought.
I wanted to say yes. I mean, that was why I had called him. But a part of me was holding back. My lips opened to speak the word, but no sound came out. With an almost physical effort, I forced the air from my lungs.
“Yes,” I said finally, feeling like I had just jumped off a cliff.
“Fantastic! I promise you won’t regret this. When are you available?”
“The rest of the week is pretty free, I guess.”
“What are you doing right now?”
The question shocked me.
“Right now? Well, nothing, really, but it’s the middle of the night.”
“The middle of the night is when interesting things happen.”
“I don’t know. Maybe tomorrow.”
“No. If we wait, you might change your mind. Come over now.”
The tone of his voice sent a shiver marching down my spine. He didn’t sound angry. It was more like commanding. I knew I couldn’t say no.
I took a deep breath. “Okay.”
“Excellent. I’ll text you the address. Be there in an hour.”
Chapter 3
Less than an hour later, I stood in front of a wide five-story building in the heart of downtown. It looked like an old factory. The kind that had been closed for years until some real estate developer converted the space into condos.
I assumed there would be some level of nudity involved in posing for Dominic so I had chosen clothing that I could slip off with ease. I wore a loose peasant blouse with a low cut neckline and a long flowing skirt that fit my hips just right. I figured even if I wouldn’t stay dressed for long, I could still look good until then.
An imposing set of metal doors loomed over me as I located the intercom and punched in the number for his studio. The responding buzz trilled loudly in the darkness and I almost jumped out of my skin. The doors unlocked with a click and I pulled one open, trying to still my jagged
I also felt the urge to pose again. To experience that shivering mix of fear and excitement, and that feeling of being exposed both physically and emotionally. I wanted to reveal myself to him again. He liked what he saw, and I liked what he saw when he looked at me. I also wanted to see him again.
Screw it.
I flipped the drawing over and jabbed his phone number into my cell. He answered on the third ring.
“Hello.”
At the sound of his deep voice, my courage fled, leaving me unsure and stammering.
“Uh, hi, is this Dominic?”
“It is. Who is this?”
“Um, Angela.”
“Angela, what a lovely surprise.” I could hear the smile in his voice. “Have you reconsidered my offer?”
“Umm, yes. I mean, maybe.”
“Hmm. I want to hear more yes and less maybe.”
“Well, the thing is. I could use the work, but I’m not really comfortable in front of so many people. It’s a little overwhelming.”
“Oh,” he said, sounding relieved. “Well, that’s not a problem. I actually wanted to hire you for private sessions. Just you and me at my studio.”
“You have your own studio?”
“Well, it’s nothing impressive. Just a space downtown. But it’s mine. And private.”
Private sessions, I thought. Just the two of us. I liked the sound of that. My love life was as bleak as my money problems, and even the possibility of spending time alone with Dominic was enticing.
“I can pay you a hundred dollars for a two-hour session. Is that alright?”
My brain reeled at the number. I could never make that much at any of the jobs I had seen in the paper or online.
“I don’t know,” I said.
“Fine, two hundred a session. Say you’ll do it.”
My head bobbed back and forth with indecision. It was an insane amount of money. It sounded too good to be true, which meant it probably was. Weren’t artists supposed to be poor? Then again, he had his own studio. Maybe he was more successful than I’d thought.
I wanted to say yes. I mean, that was why I had called him. But a part of me was holding back. My lips opened to speak the word, but no sound came out. With an almost physical effort, I forced the air from my lungs.
“Yes,” I said finally, feeling like I had just jumped off a cliff.
“Fantastic! I promise you won’t regret this. When are you available?”
“The rest of the week is pretty free, I guess.”
“What are you doing right now?”
The question shocked me.
“Right now? Well, nothing, really, but it’s the middle of the night.”
“The middle of the night is when interesting things happen.”
“I don’t know. Maybe tomorrow.”
“No. If we wait, you might change your mind. Come over now.”
The tone of his voice sent a shiver marching down my spine. He didn’t sound angry. It was more like commanding. I knew I couldn’t say no.
I took a deep breath. “Okay.”
“Excellent. I’ll text you the address. Be there in an hour.”
Chapter 3
Less than an hour later, I stood in front of a wide five-story building in the heart of downtown. It looked like an old factory. The kind that had been closed for years until some real estate developer converted the space into condos.
I assumed there would be some level of nudity involved in posing for Dominic so I had chosen clothing that I could slip off with ease. I wore a loose peasant blouse with a low cut neckline and a long flowing skirt that fit my hips just right. I figured even if I wouldn’t stay dressed for long, I could still look good until then.
An imposing set of metal doors loomed over me as I located the intercom and punched in the number for his studio. The responding buzz trilled loudly in the darkness and I almost jumped out of my skin. The doors unlocked with a click and I pulled one open, trying to still my jagged
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